Colombia – Thousands March to Protest President Duque’s Government Measures

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Trade unions, student groups, indigenous peoples and Colombian environmentalists planned a strike on Thursday, November 21st, with marches in the capital and in other cities to reject measures such as labor and social welfare reforms being proposed by president Iván Duque.

Demonstrators demand that the government, which is facing a popularity crisis, uphold minimum wages for youths and the universal right to retirement.

There is also criticism of the security policy focused on the fight against drug trafficking and of Duque’s attempt to change the peace pact that led to the disarmament of the former FARC guerrilla in 2016.

In Bogotá, demonstrators gathered at seven points in the city to march to Bolívar Square, the seat of Congress and one block from the presidential palace.

The president has repeatedly denied that he plans to propose social welfare and tax reform laws that include the changes claimed by demonstrators. He said he immediately rejected the idea of reducing youths’ wages when a think tank proposed it.

“No reform was proposed,” Duque said during a rare live broadcast on Facebook this week, adding that he did not intend to raise the retirement age. “It was said that we want to pay the youth less than the minimum wage. This is also a lie.”

Other groups of protesters joined to protest against what they said was a lack of government action to prevent the killing of hundreds of human rights activists, corruption in universities and other issues.

Supporters of the march, which include major unions, allege Duque’s government also wants to make the public pension fund Colpensiones private and differentiate salaries by region.

At a time of widespread turmoil in other Latin American countries, police this week invaded a cultural magazine before the protest, while Colombian President Ivan Duque warned that his government would not tolerate violence.

On Tuesday night, November 19th, the police raided the newsroom of Cartel Urbano magazine and rifled through art works. Employees of the publication posted videos on social media showing the raid.

Christian Krüger, the director of Migración Colombia, told reporters that “as a result of protests, the government has closed land and river borders at 12 migration checkpoints on the borders with Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela”.

“This is a measure that aims to prevent foreigners from entering national territory with the intention of disturbing public order and safety,” added Krüger.